After leaving him, I restarted my life
Chapter 1
Vivian stormed out the second she found out I wasn’t the real heir.
I married him anyway, risking being cut off by my family, and stood by him as he clawed his way back from rock bottom.
He swore he’d never leave me, but five years into our marriage, during a prenatal checkup, we were in a car accident.
He scooped me up into the ambulance, glancing coldly at my sister, also lying in a pool of blood.
“I have to get Vivian to the hospital. If you die, it’s your fate.”
At the hospital, they wouldn’t let me into surgery.
They said he’d booked surgery for Mrs. Miller, and I had to wait.
Confused, I saw my sister being wheeled in, surrounded by doctors.
Mrs. Miller was Vivian.
And Mark, who’d gone to get my medication, was with her.
I didn’t argue, didn’t cry, just left a miscarriage notice.
Blood was pooling on the floor from a gash in my leg.
My best friend, Chloe, called.
“I saw on TV about the accident on the freeway. Are you okay?”
My forced composure crumbled, and my throat tightened.
Before I could speak, she continued, “Silly me, of course you’re okay. Your hubby shut down the whole freeway to get you to the hospital. It’s all over the news.”
“True love prevails. I’m so jealous.”
The words I wanted to say caught in my throat.
How could I tell her that Mark had coldly said Vivian’s death would be her own fault, his eyes filled with worry for her?
How could I say he’d booked an OR for Mrs. Miller, but it wasn’t me?
I couldn’t.
Chloe rambled on, “Now that you’re pregnant, he’ll love you even more.”
I was so tired.
I wouldn’t get either, a child or his love.
I hung up, and Mark finally arrived.
He rushed past me, not even a glance.
His attention was solely on the lit-up emergency room.
He didn’t see me, just argued with the doctors.
“How’s Vivian? Is she okay?”
“If I can’t save her, I’ll fire you all.”
He owned the private hospital; he had the power.
In those few minutes, he’d said Vivian’s name three times, never mine.
The doctor told him the patient’s will to live was weak, and that Vivian wanted him to know she was sorry.
Mark punched the wall, yelling, “Vivian, are you blaming me for what I said after the last accident? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”
“Don’t die! I forgive you for everything. I won’t let you leave me again.”
Tears streamed down my face as he disappeared around the corner.
My hand dropped from the phone.
The truth hit me: between me and Vivian, he’d chosen her again.
An hour later, a doctor finally had time for me.
“Ma’am, your leg…”
“The accident wasn’t too bad. Doctor, I’d like to schedule an abortion.”
Abortion anesthesia needed a family member’s signature, so I opted for no anesthesia.
As cold instruments scraped inside me, my heart sank.
This IVF baby, after countless hospital visits over five years, was gone.
The injections, the egg retrievals, felt like yesterday.
I’d thought a child with Mark would be worth any suffering.
Not anymore.
I sat in the hospital room all afternoon, memories replaying like a movie.
Five years ago, after he was exposed as the imposter heir, his depression consumed him. I was the only one there.
He’d said, “Sarah, you’re the light that saved me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“I’ll never leave you.”
But actions speak louder than words. Between me and Vivian, he chose her.
I closed my eyes, clutching the abortion report.
I’d give it to him when he arrived.
Chapter 2
Mark came at 8 p.m., worriedly taking my hand.
“Sarah, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know they’d mixed up the names for the surgery.”
“You had to wait so long.”
He leaned in for his usual forehead kiss, but I dodged it.
His feigned concern made me sick.
Sensing my mood, he offered takeout.
“Sarah, you haven’t eaten, have you? I got your favorite.”
The note read: “My wife’s allergic to peppers, no spice.”
Vivian was allergic to peppers, not me.
Seeing Vivian’s name as the customer, a pang of pain shot through me.
Love, or lack thereof, was so obvious.
He remembered Vivian’s dietary restriction from five years ago, but all I got were her leftovers.
I took deep breaths, reaching for the abortion report under my pillow.
He got a call and rushed out.
“Sorry, Sarah, urgent business. I’ll be back.”
A lie. That was Vivian’s ringtone.
He said he’d be back, but I left the hospital without seeing him again.
Of course, Vivian wasn’t discharged yet. He had to be with her.
I packed at home.
Our wedding photo, once my pride, now mocked me.
I punched it.
It fell, revealing hidden letters behind it.
Mark had been writing to Vivian for five years.
“I won you over with love poems, and I’ll win you back with these letters.”
“Were you only with me because of who I was?”
“I love you. Your sister looks like you, but only when I pretend she’s you can I…”
His dignity crumbled over time, ending in desperate pleas.
“I’m rich now. We can be together anytime you want.”
“Even as your mistress, I just want you to see me.”
Sobbing, I couldn’t read anymore.
My sacred wedding photo hid his emotional affair.
After his expulsion from the Miller family, we couldn’t afford a wedding.
We just took photos. He’d said that counted as marriage. I hadn’t even questioned it, let alone gotten a marriage license.
Well, at least I didn’t need a divorce.
I called Chloe, my lawyer friend.
“Cancel my identity, and book me a one-way ticket out of the country.”
As I hung up, my jewelry store called.
“Ms. Jones, Mr. Miller ordered a custom ring for your anniversary, but the size is smaller than usual. Are you sure it’s a size 4?”
Our anniversary was a month ago. This wasn’t for me.
I coldly confirmed and hung up.
With my bag, I took one last look, shutting the door.
A returned package lay outside.
Inside was Vivian’s birthday invitation, hosted by Mark.
Their names, side-by-side in the corner, stabbed at me.
My husband throwing a party for my sister? I had to go.
Chapter 3
Mark called on Vivian’s birthday.
“Sarah, you wanted a bracelet, right? I ordered a limited edition one from Paris. It should be home.”
I scoffed. What was this?
Guilt after cheating? A parting gift?
Then he said, “I also sent a bank card. There’s $100,000 in it, your birthday is the PIN. Take a trip, relax.”
I chuckled. “No, thanks.”
I wouldn’t go back to that house, or accept his gifts.
I entered the ballroom, watching him propose to Vivian.
Whispers filled the air.
“Isn’t Vivian his wife’s sister? What’s going on?”
“They never got a marriage license. Vivian was always his fiancée.”
“They’re meant to be. Sarah was there for him, but it wasn’t official.”
People’s words changed depending on who they were with.
They’d wished us well, now they praised Vivian and Mark.
Someone saw me, their face horrified.
Mark jumped up.
“Sarah, what are you doing here?”
He panicked, but Vivian calmly took my hand.
“Mark said you planned this party for me. Thank you.”
What could I say?
She’d saved him, and he looked at her gratefully.
They exchanged loving glances right in front of me. Bitterness welled up.
His friend, oblivious to my pain, sneered.
“You can’t force love. I called you ‘sis’ for Mark, but I guess that’s changing now.”
He “accidentally” dropped his glass, red wine staining my dress.
Some splashed Vivian too.
Mark instinctively covered her with his jacket.
Then, realizing his mistake, he borrowed one for me.
“Sarah, Vivian’s been down since the accident, so I threw her a party.”
“Oh.”
I turned to leave, but he stopped me.
“You’re not upset, are you?”
I shook my head. It wasn’t a misunderstanding; it was the truth.
“I’ll wait for you in the parking lot.”
I had something to give him.
But it wasn’t him who came, it was Vivian.
In Mark’s jacket, she smirked.
“Sister dear, don’t you get it? I win just by standing here.”
“If I were you, I’d have run away already.”
She was right. Everything screamed that truth.
Holding back tears, I ignored her, but she continued.
“Let’s make a bet. I bet I can make you lose everything just by lying down. Believe it?”
Before I understood, she sprawled on the car hood.
Mark’s furious voice erupted.
“Sarah! What did you do to Vivian?!”
Chapter 4
My explanation died in my throat, cut off by his accusations.
“You’re so evil you’d hit Vivian? What happened to the kind, gentle woman I knew?”
He comforted Vivian, listening to her sob story about me starting the car and hitting her.
“If I’d hit her, she’d be dead.”
But Mark, eyes red, wouldn’t listen.
He yanked me out of the car, throwing me to the ground.
“If you didn’t do it, is Vivian lying? Do you dare show me the dashcam footage?”
Hearing that, Vivian grabbed his hand.
“Mark, I’m fine. She was just scaring me.”
“Vivian, you’re too kind. You can’t let her get away with this.”
“She has to apologize.”
I scoffed. She framed me, called herself kind, and wanted an apology from me.
“Mark, I won’t apologize. Do you know she’s the one who…”
The words “…killed your baby” were cut off by a slap.
I fell, stunned.
He carried Vivian to the car, got in, and sped towards me.
He’d do this for Vivian?
Our five years meant nothing.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact, but only felt a rush of air.
“Sarah, if you ever do this again, I’ll make you pay a hundred times over for Vivian’s pain.”
He drove Vivian to the hospital, ignoring the blood dripping from my leg.
Still weak from the miscarriage, I was worse now.
I called my emergency contact, but he’d changed it to his number.
“Sarah, what now?”
“My stomach hurts. Take me to the hospital.”
He hung up. I collapsed, unconscious.
I woke up in the hospital, the doctor telling me my uterus was damaged, likely infertile.
I almost fainted.
I called Chloe.
“I’m ready to leave. Come get me.”
